The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-03-26

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the method of creation; that the high
er forms Of life were evolved from the
lower; and that possibly-on this he did
not positively affirm-man's physical
being came in the same way. He did
not believe that all the differentiated
forms of vegetable and animal life were
the results Of special acts of creation.
He did not believe that the word was
made in six days. He believed in in
spiration but he did not believe in the
verbal theory or that every word is in
spired. He believed in the5divinity of
Christ, and in the atonement that
"God was manifest in the flesh;" that
"God was in Christ, recopciling the
world to Himself" But he did not be-
lieve that God was angry and had to
be "reconciled" by the death of his Son;
that the innocent had to be punished
to make good the law before the guilty
could be pardoned. He believed that
God is love; that love suffers for the
lost, and hence has come forth in
Christ to seek and to save.
Mr.. Beecher did not believe in the
old doctrine of the fall of man; that
the first pair were created some six
thousand years ago; that they were
created perfect; that they fell, and that
all men sinned and fell in their sin and
hence he rejected the whole system Of
salvation based upon that unverifable,
and as he believed, unscientific dogma.
He believed in the continuity of the
life of the good in the world to come,
but he did not believe in the conscious
endless suffering Of any soul, but that
the ungood would cease to be; at least
the whole trend of his thought in later
years seemed to be in the direction of
the humiliation of the wicked. And
on this point he was in accord with the
belief Of DR.. Lyman Abbott, the Con-
gregati0nalist, and DR.. j III. Vincent,
the Methodist, and many other devout
|
ally do not agree with these thinkers
on this point, for / believe that man is
essentially, and in the deepest center of
his being, a spirit; and hence that he
is immortal; but do agree with Broth
er Beecher in denying endless punish
ment. And upon the subject of the
nature Of the atonement, this great
preacher was in substantial accord with
DR.. Bushnell and DR.. Abbott, and
many other able Congregational divines;
and upon the doctrine of evolution he
was in accord with the greatest theistic
scientific thinkers of the age. And no
one ever accused Mr.. Beecher of not
preaching a high morality and deep
and profound Christian life and exper-
fence.
What then, was and is the trouble !?
Simply this: Mr.. Beecher thought fur
ther, and, as many think, higher and
better than others; and he had the can
dor and the courage to preach what he
believed. They could not keep him
still. He w5nfd talk. He felt that the
great truths of Christianity were pro-
found realities, but that they needed a
re-statement, and that it was the duty
of the ministry of this age of unsettling
and doubt to tighten the burdens of be-
lief that rest SO heavily upon honest
minds and hearts. This he honestly
tried to do, and he has helped make
clearer and easier the way of faith for
the future. For this his family was
refused sympathy by some in his dying
hour, and others hasten to say that they
are not in sympathy with his teachings.
But with this great preacher it will
be as it has been with other great re-
formers who have had the strength and
the courage to go before in the progress
of thought. "Their fathers stone the
prophets, and their children build their
tombs." One generation condemns,
the next applauds. Forty years ago
there was nothing too hard to be said
of Garrison, and Phillips and Lovejoy;
now they are honored. Claiming and
Parker were denounced in their day;
now the writings of Charming are read
the world over, and the more radical
views of Parker are finding larger
favor. Thirty years ago the theories Of
Colenso were heard with alarm; now
they are accepted by the ablest school
of critics in Europe. Some have thought
that if Beecher could have lived longer
he would have returned to the old the
OlOgy; but in this they are mistaken.
All the long lines Of his thought, and
all the deep sympathies of his great
soul were running in one direction. Men
of courage and conviction do not turn
back, and thousands of young preach
ers are coming into the field, and upon
them the mantle of this inspired
prophet Of God will fall. The re-
straints of power, and the cries and
threats of heresy cannot seal their lips,
and in twenty-five years the world will
wonder that Beecher was called a
hereto.
Even now, in all the land-from sea
to sea. from Portland to San Francisco.